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Adam Wainwright pitched another gem last evening. He hasn't given up a run in his last 16 and a third innings. We beat the Dodgers 2-0. Adam hit a two run home run, 410 footer. Its the first time in Cardinal history ever that a pitcher didn't give up a run and homered for the only runs scored, ever. Cards are 1 game over .500 a game and a half out of first. Now over in the American League, the Houston Astros are playing like a team possessed, they are a whopping 22 games over 500 with a 38-16 record, best in baseball. Yesterday they scored eleven runs, in one inning beat the twins, 17-6.

Adam Wainwright has gone over 16 innings without giving up a run. Got me thinking about years ago, Bob Gibson went over 27 innings once. Tim McCarver the now announcer was the Cardinals catcher back then, he said Gibsons the luckiest pitcher he knew, he always pitched on days when the other team didn't score any runs Anyway MLB and the commish looked real close at Gibby, had the umps looking at him too, maybe he was using some illegal substance, illegal pitches...nope. Just a great pitcher. Well they decided to do something.I found this in the Major League Archives.

By Michael Clair

We live in a pitching-dominated era, with strikeouts on the rise and ERAs dwindling. For those that love low-scoring pitching duels, it's a dream come true. For others, especially those that miss the days of 12-10 swatfests, it leaves something lacking.

However, it is nowhere near the landscape that baseball had after the 1968 season. On Dec. 3 that year, a Major League rules panel got together and voted to lower the mound from 15 inches to 10, shrinking the strike zone to the top of the knees to the armpit (rather than shoulders and knees) and to be extra vigilant against doctored baseballls. In the end, it worked, with offense jumping from an average of 6.84 runs per game to 8.14.

It also made for some strange outliers along the way. Here are four of the stats that probably led to the change:

1. Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA

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That's right -- the number that has probably been burned into your brain since you were a young child. This number is so outrageously low for a starting pitcher, it doesn't quite seem possible in the modern era. And while Gibson was a fine pitcher, who would have likely had an excellent ERA that season no matter what, his second-lowest ERA in his career was over a full run higher at 2.18.

While it was a historically great season no matter how you slice it, Gibson's ERA+, which normalizes his home ballpark and accounts for league averages, was 258. In other words, Gibson's ERA was 158 percent better than the league average. While Gibson may have the lowest ERA of all-time, this ERA+ number ranks him sixth behind Walter Johnson, Dutch Leonard, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez.

Didn't want to bore you with all four, you can go find it yourself if you want, but Gibby was the number one reason they lowered the pitchers mound and shrunk the strike zone. He must feel pretty good about that. Adam wainwrights ERA in his last four starts, are you ready? .034 we'll see where this ends. Do to a bit of a sloppy start his season ERA is still up over 4.0, but in his last four starts he has pitched as good or better than any pitcher in baseball, ever.

Congrats to X Cardinal Albert Pujols on reaching home run number 600 Saturday, he did it in spectacular fashion, he is the only one to reach number 600 with a Grand Slam Here is a list of players that have hit over 600, its a short list. Albert will most likely pass Sosa and Thome this year maybe Griffey, and if he stays healthy the skies the limit, he has averaged 39 home runs per year through out his career. If you want to read some more about him here is his Wikipedia page. I mentioned Albert did it with a slam, his was one of a record 7 Grand Slams hit Saturday, 7 in one day across MLB, wow.

There are more of these guys than there are MLBers with over 600 home runs, who knows what these guys have in common? Oh shoot I forgot Michael Jackson. That's right they are all MoonWalkers, more people have walked on the moon than hit 600 homers.Buzz AldrinNeil ArmstrongAlan BeanEugene CernanPete ConradCharles DukeJames IrwinEdgar MitchellHarrison SchmittDavid ScottAlan ShepardJohn Young

The Cardinals are four games under 500 at 40-44, good for third place in the Central. They are 5 and half games out of first and no the Cubs are not in first place, The Milwaukee Brewers are in first. I haven't been posting nothing about the cardinals I was taught if you don't have something good to say don't say nothing

That's happens way to often, its its its...uncardinal like Molina the catcher is a bright spot this year, a long hitting streak and runners can't seem to run on him, that's always been that way. I think he has about the highest throw out rate among catchers, but they keep testing him and he keeps throwing them out. Catchers have short careers compared to other position players, once injuries start they compound, its that squatting, the knees go first. I'm gonna hate to see Molina go but he has been there awhile now.

Its Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals in the Central, Cards are 3.5 games back, all three teams have won 5 of their last ten games as we head into the Dog Days of Summer. Yadi Molina had his second multi homer game the other night, he hit two on Mothers day if you remember. Cardinals rookie Paul DeJong leads all Cardinals in home runs with 15, he was voted MLB Rookie of the month for the month of July. Three and a half out isn't bad positioning this time of the year but I just don't see the spark as in years past. Had they not got off to such a slow start they could have been at the top. I know, would a, should a, could a, we'll see what happens.

What a difference a couple days make. The spark that was missing is back. Cardinals firing on all cylinders scoring in double digits last three games in a row. Second place just one and a half games behind the Cubs.

Cards beat the Braves 8-5, Cubs win also. Both teams with 60 wins but the Cubs have two less losses, Cards one game back. Cardinals have won 8 of their last 10, Cubs are just 4 wins in their last ten games allowing the Cards to get back in the race. I'm going to take a trip up there and check out this team in person, I'm craving a sack of White Castle burgers. If I leave from work an hour early Monday morning I can catch the 1:15 PM game against the Braves before they leave town and be back in bed Monday night. Tuesday morning Paradise Marina on Conway for a boat rental a buddy and his friend caught 65 hand size and bigger bream in Gold Creek earlier this week and he wants to go back, I'll let him take me Its a blast on ultra light.

Braves score two runs in the ninth inning but fall just short of the Cardinals 6-5. Cardinals win their 8th game in a row. The Cubs lose to the Diamondbacks so.....I get to say it. Cardinals are in first place in The National League Central Division OK now that I said that I will say why I really can't say that. You know by now baseball, maybe more than any other sport is a numbers game, and new numbers are being invented everyday, new stats like that one the other night POP Time. Percentages, there are hundreds and hundreds of percentages that are kept track of, on base percentage, slugging percentage, batting averages to name a few. Another common one is win loss percentage. Cubs have won 60 games and lost 55 for a win percentage of .522, 5 games over .500. They have won 5 more games than they have lost. The St Louis Cardinals have won 61 games, a game more than the Cubs and have lost 56 games, a game more than the Cubs. So you tell me, who's in first place? Lets take a look, the Cardinals have won 5 more games than they have lost, just like the Cubs. The standings show them tied with Chicago, not a half game back, or a game back. But a 61-56 record computes out to a win percentage of .521, Cubs have a .522, can you get any closer? The Cardinals are one onethousanths of a percentage point behind the Cubs.